Puzzle



PATENTED FEB. 2, 1904.

H. KEELER.

PUZZLE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. a, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

[12 13022 tor Henry fCeeZer Attorney M71inc-away;

. WASHINGTON. a, c.

UNITED STATES- Patented February 2, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

PUZZLE.

SPEGIFICATIQN forming part of- Letters Patent N0. 750,862,datedFe'bruaryQ, 1904.

Application filed September 3, 1903. Serial No. 171,714 (No model.)

use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and tothe numerals of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification. 4 1

My invention relates to puzzles, and more particularly to that class ofpuzzles known as sliding-block puzzles, and has for its objects, first,to make a puzzle which willrequire for its solution a higher order ofskill than puzzles of that class heretofore made; second, to provide apuzzle in which success in solution is measured by the manner ofproducing a prescribed result; third, to provide means to automaticallyindicate and register the degree of success in the solution of thepuzzle, and, fourth, to provide a superior construction of sliding-blockpuzzles.

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is an isometric View of my device. Fig. 2 isa top plan view of the middle section of my device, showing the meansfor operating the indicator. Fig. 3 is a detail side view of theturn-table and the shaft on which it rotates. Fig. 4c is a cross-sectionon the line w m, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the sliding blockused in my device.

In the drawings like reference-numerals refer to like parts throughoutthe several views.

The base 1, upon which my puzzle is mounted, is most conveniently madein three sections 1 1 1". On the top of section 1 is a hollow sectionaltrack 2 2 3, of sheet metal or other suitable material, having alongitudinal slot l in the top thereof.

6 6 are two series of sliding blocks of uniform length, except that oneblock in each series is twice as long as either of the others, and thenumber of blocks in each series is eight or some other even number. Thenumbers marked upon the sliding blocks in the drawings are constituentparts of the blocks and are not be. treated as reference-numbers inconnection with this specification. These .blocks are provided withflanges 7 to-prevent them from being raised out of the slot 4, which ismade too narrow to permit the blocks to be turned therein. The blocksare so marked as to indicate to which series they respectively f belongand to indicate their proper order therein. The length of section 3 ofthe track should be twice the length of one of the longer blocks in theseries 6 6,. There projects rigidly and perpendicularly from the centerof the bottom of section 3 of the track a shaft 16, which passes througha perforation 9 in sections -1 1 of the basel and into asocket or collarin section 1. Near, the center of sections 1 of the base and cutting oneside of perforation 9 is a lateral slot 10. On one side of and -openingfrom slot 10 is a recess in which is seated a pulley-block 12, carryinga pulley 13. The outer end of pulley-block l2 rests against a spring15,. the pressure of which presses the pulley-block toward the shaft 16and causes the pulley 13 to impinge against the shaft 16. The indicator18 is a flat, thin, and somewhat rigid strip of metal or other material,marked with serial numbers in the manner of a carpenters rule, exceptthat the intervals between numbers are each equal to one-half of thecircumference of the shaft 16. This indicator is of any desired lengthand is adapted to be loosely mounted in the slot 10 and easily forcedbetween the shaft 16 and the pulley 13.

In the operation of my puzzle the sliding blocks are placed in the slotin the track, as shown in Fig. 1, one series of blocks being on each ofthe end sections of the track and in serial order. One end of theindicator is then inserted in the lateral slot and forced between theshaft and the pulley far enough so that when the shaft turns theindicator will be propelled along the slot, whereby the serial numberson the indicator will be successively displayed at one end of thelateral slot.

The gist of my puzzle is apparent by treating the sectional track 2 2' 3as a railroadtrack, the middle section as a turn-table, and the twoseries of sliding blocks as two trains of cars approaching each other,with the turntable between them, the problem to be solved being todemonstrate how to pass the trains past each other by means of theturn-table in such manner that after the passage the cars in each trainwill be in the exact order and with the same end of each car in front asbefore the passage and to accomplish this with the least possible numberof half-revolutions of the turn-table. The liability to make anunnecessarily large number of half-revolutions is largelyincreased byhaving an even number of blocks in each series and by having one blockin each series of double length, for the reason that if all the blockswere of uniform length and there were an even number of them in eachseries, or if one block in each series were double length, with an oddnumber in each series, it is obvious that in getting one series past theother the turntable can at every turn be occupied by two blocks (or onedouble-length block) from each series, and there need be no turn whichwill not pass the turn-table full of blocks. All of the blocks will thenbe in two, one, four, three order, and to turn them back right end firstonly two blocks can be turned at one time. Hence it will require twiceas many turns of the turn-table to turn them around as it took to passthem, and the operator has no choice nor chance for skill, whereas ifthe blocks are as described the turn-table cannot be kept fully occupiedeven in getting the blocks past each other, because the aggregate of thelengths of the blocks is not div-isible by the length of the turn-table,and the two doublelength blocks have such effect that in getting theblocks past each other they are thrown into such order that they cannotbe turned back right end first without sometimes hav ing the turn-tableoccupied by only one or two blocks. A large number of complications inthis respect can be produced by different Ways of passing the blocks. Inorder that the indicator may correctly indicate the number of halfrevolutions, the turn-table should be rotated in one direction only.When a record is not desired or when the puzzle is not in use, theindicator may be pulled entirely out of the slot and laid aside.

I do not'limit myself to the exact details of structure herein shown anddescribed, inasmuch as the same may be varied without departing from thespirit of my invention.

What I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a puzzle, the combination with a base 1, of a sectional trackcomprising end sections 2 2 secured "to said base and a middle section 3rotatably mounted on said base, and two series of blocks adapted toslide on said track, each of said series of blocks containing an evennumber of blocks and having one' block in each of said series of doublethe length of the other blocks.

2. In a puzzle, the combination of a base,

a track mounted on said base having a rotatk HENRY KEELER. Witnesses:

FREDERICK J. CHASE, M. F. MOCU'LLOOH.

